Business Reopening & Operating

Columbia County, along with 11 other Pennsylvania counties, will enter the green phase next Friday, June 12th. Montour County moved from the yellow to green phase on May 29th. This phase allows bars and restaurants, personal care services such as hair salons and barbershops, indoor recreation, and entertainment businesses to open at 50% occupancy. All businesses must follow CDC and Department of Health guidance for social distancing and cleaning. Guidance for general business operations in the green phase is provided here.

As of Friday, June 5, every county has exited the state’s complete stay at home order, otherwise known as the red phase. That means 33 counties are in the yellow phase, where aggressive mitigation must be practiced, while 34 are in the green, or the least restrictive phase. Under it, all businesses can open again as long as they follow CDC and Pa. Department of Health guidelines.

Cleaning services

Members that provide these products or services and are not listed should contact the Chamber.

Financial Assistance

A webinar discussing the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, Paycheck Protection Program, Employee Retention Credit, and other resources is available on the Chamber’s YouTube channel.

Federal loan programs

PPP and EIDL loans are being processed. Local financial institutions are still accepting PPP applications. The EIDL application portal has been reopened for agricultural businesses only including those engaged in the production of food and fiber, ranching, and raising of livestock, aquaculture, and all other farming and agricultural related industries (as defined by section 18(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 647(b)).

– The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) provides loans to small businesses, including sole proprietors and self-employed individuals, as well as some non-profit organizations, that maintain their payroll during the emergency. These loans may be forgiven if borrowers maintain their payrolls during the crisis or restore their payrolls afterward.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce provides a guide to help borrowers understand the process by which their loan forgiveness amount will be calculated and the overall approach of the forgiveness process. A webinar is also available on YouTube.

– The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program provides businesses with less than 500 employees working capital loans of up to $2 million. Click here for basic details about the program.

Applicants can obtain up to a $10,000 advance on EIDLs. The advance is available as part of the full application and will be transferred into the account provided after the application is submitted. The amount of each advance will be determined by the number of the applicant’s pre-disaster (i.e., as of January 31, 2020) employees. The advance will provide $1,000 per employee up to a maximum of $10,000.

Federal tax credit programs

– The CARES Act also created a new employee retention tax credit for employers who are closed, partially closed, or experiencing significant revenue losses as a result of COVID-19. The Employee Retention Credit is a fully refundable tax credit for employers equal to 50 percent of qualified wages (including allowable qualified health plan expenses) that eligible employers pay their employees after March 12, 2020, and before January 1, 2021. The maximum amount of qualified wages taken into account with respect to each employee for all calendar quarters is $10,000, so that the maximum credit for an eligible employer for qualified wages paid to any employee is $5,000.

Local programs

– SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG) has created a loan program with funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. For-profit businesses can apply for loans of at least $10,000 with an interest rate of 3.25%. Funds can be used for working capital and can be disbursed based on past working capital expenses. No payments are due in the first six months. There is a limited pool of funds available so interested businesses should apply now as soon as possible.

– The Chamber’s low-interest loan program is offering loans of up to $10,000 for members at 3% interest for 30 months, with interest only payments for the first 12 months. If you are interested in the Chamber’s loan program, contact Fred Gaffney at the Chamber of Commerce at 570-784-2522 as funds are limited.

– The Central Susquehanna Community Foundation has activated its Disaster Relief Fund to support 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in Lower-Luzerne, Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder and Union Counties. The Foundation is specifically interested in helping front-line organizations maintain their operations and respond to increased demand from clients during this critical time.

A second grant round will be announced on June 1, 2020.

Donations to the Fund can be made online at csgiving.org/disaster-relief or mailed to Central Susquehanna Community Foundation, Attn: Disaster Relief Fund, 725 West Front Street, Berwick, PA 18603.

Private programs

– Employees of bars, restaurants, cafes and nightclubs might be eligible for a grant through the Restaurant Strong Fund, a partnership between the Greg Hill Foundation and Sam Adams. To learn more and apply, visit: restaurantstrong.org/apply-for-grant

– A growing number of companies have set up relief funds, online tools, classes, and other resources at no cost in response to the impact on small-business owners. Thislinkcontains a list that Inc. is curating and continuously updating.

Business Tax Deadlines Extended

In addition to extending tax filing and payment deadlines for individuals, the Commonwealth has also extended a number of business tax deadlines, including moving the due date for corporations with tax returns due in May to August 14, 2020 and removing the requirement for some businesses to make prepayments of Sales and Use Tax for April, May and June 2020.

Unemployment, Benefits & HR Issues

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance(PUA) provides up to 39 weeks of benefits to individuals not eligible for regular benefits, including the self-employed and those who have exhausted all rights to such benefits. Click here for more information and to apply for PUA. Qualifying self-employed individuals will need to submit a copy of the Governor’s order closing businesses, available here.

New temporary paid sick leave and Family and Medical Leave Act programs are 100% reimbursable by the federal government. The effective date of both programs is April 1 and they expire December 31. Both programs are in addition to any leave the employer already offers. Click here for a guide for employers from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Click here for details from the IRS about the tax credits for paid leave.

The U.S. Department of Labor has released a required posting and FAQ regarding the FFCRA which went into effect April 1.

Small Business Recovery Program

The Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Zeigler College of Business is establishing a Small Business Recovery Program (SBRP) to assist local businesses in recovery from the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We know these are challenging days for small businesses throughout the region, and the Zeigler College of Business wants to be a partner to help solve those problems,” said Todd Shawver, dean of the Zeigler College of Business.”

The SBRP will assist regional small business with any aspect of their business, except for financial assistance. These services can include, but not limited to:• Professional sales assistance• Social media and marketing strategy• Business strategy redevelopment• Cost structures and monitoring• Tax guidance• Open to customizing services depending on business needs.

“This will be a fabulous learning opportunity for our students, under the supervision of our amazing faculty,” said Shawver. “It will provide the subject matter expertise necessary to provide guidance for our small business and assist them in recovering from this negative economic impact.”

Anyone wishing to access the services of the SBRP can do so by filling out a request form that can be found here.

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Quality Living in Columbia and Montour Counties

View the Quality Living guide online for information about Columbia and Montour counties. Copies of the Quality Living guide, detailed street maps and business directories are available at the Chamber office in Bloomsburg.